good morning, america. breaking overnight, a dramatic last-minute deal that saved the country from going over the fiscal cliff. taxes, still going up for three-quarters of americans. what the deal means for you, as a critical, new countdown begins right now. hillary's fight? the secretary of state remains hospitalized with that blood clot between her brain and her ear, doctors monitoring her every move. bill and chelsea by her side. the latest on her alarming condition. wall of fire. hannah storm dealing with crisis after a fire at home with her family's gas grill. >> that's a terrible feeling. >> the explosion that left her

with second-degree burns. how her daughter helped save her. come on. it's time to jump-start your january. >> i'd do what she says. >> and we're revving your entire life into top speed this month. jump-starting your style, your love life, your wallet. and dropping thousands of pounds. right now, we're all in this together. let's get it started, right now, on "gma." >> go on. jump in. >> let's get jumping. and happy new year, everyone. good morning to robin. up and over that 100-day mark in her recovery. what a new year's day it was in washington. the first time congress had to vote on new year's day since the korean war. with no time to spare, they were able to pass a deal that would protect most americans from an

income tax increase. and so far, financial markets like what they see. >> talk about going down to the wire. all right. also, what was this young couple doing with deadly homemade weapons? explosives used and manuals in making bombs and booby traps. >> very strange one. >> indeed. if you are looking for sam this morning, you won't find him because he's on his honeymoon. there he is. sam and rubem celebrating in miami. and the happy couple with their delighted moms. we want to wish them all the happiness in the world. we miss you, sammie. >> rest assured, they're not watching this morning. happy honeymoon. let's get to the latest on the fiscal deal that almost

wasn't. and abc's jon karl on how it all came together. good morning, jon. >> reporter: good morning, george. it was a dramatic end. to a better, high-stakes debate. and late last night, it looked like it could fall apart. but jane boehner pushed ahead anyway. it went right down to the wire. but at long last, they finally did it. >> the motion is adopted. >> reporter: just minutes before the stroke of midnight, the president welcomed the news. >> this law is just one step in the broader effort to strengthen our economy and broaden opportunity for everybody. >> reporter: but the bill almost went down in the face of feeted objections from many house republicans. >> there's no spending cuts. we're adding $4 billion a day to the debt. >> what we're really doing is raising taxes to give the president more money to spend. we think that's a bad idea. >> reporter: even eric cantor, the second-highest ranking republican in the house, was opposed to the deal struck by his colleagues in the senate.

>> i do not support the bill. >> reporter: but others said, like it or not, the bill was the only way to prevent a big tax increase for virtually every american worker. >> republicans and the american people are getting something really important, permanent tax relief. >> reporter: the bill will prevent an income tax relief on workers earning under $400,000 a year. but the bill leaves a lot left to do. in two months, the government will hit the limit of how much money it can borrow, unless congress raises the so-called debt ceiling. an automatic, across-the-board cuts to the pentagon and other agencies, are only to be delayed for two months, setting up another from fiscal cliff on march 1st. congress has adjourned. and late last night, after midnight, the president left for hawaii to meet with his family. and hopefully, he thinks for a

few days' vacation. >> you mentioned the breathing per feelings got raw at the last minute. >> reporter: it got really nasty. politico first reported on friday when the congressional leaders met here at the white house, speaker of the house john boehner told the democratic leader, harry reid, off, use uhhing language i can't use here on "good morning america." >> you can't even paraphrase. let's look at what the deal means to you at home. lots of paycheck changes right now. and bianna golodryga is at the smart screen to break it down. about 99% of americans protected from an increase. but most workers will take a hit. >> payroll taxes going up. this affects everyone making $110,000 or less. so, this year, anyone making $110,000 will pay an extra $2,200 in taxes. people making $50,000 will pay an extra $1,000. and someone making $20,000 a

year will pay more $400 a year. >> but the burden falling on the top 1%. >> your typical hollywood movie star may be taking over $20 million in year. they'll pay $1 million in income taxes. we're talking about a lot of money. jay-z and beyonce earned close to $80 million last year. they're going to pay an additional $4 million in income taxes. >> one of the surprises. this deal is going to increase the deficit over the next ten years. but financial markets like what they see. >> markets like stability. they wanted some sort of resolve. that's why we saw the markets rally on monday, assuming we were going to have a deal. and overnight, they liked the news. big rally expected on wall street. we have the fiscal cliff coming up in a couple of weeks. it's not over yet. >> another one is coming on the debt limit. thanks very much. >> let's hope it's not a wild ride. now, we turn to hillary clinton's health scare. the secretary of state has been

in a hospital here in new york since sunday, when doctors discovered a blood clot near her brain. we're going to talk to dr. richard besser in a moment. but sharyn alfonsi is here with the latest on secretary clinton's condition. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this morning, clinton is being monitored closely and being given blood thinners to break up that clot. her family rallying at her bedside, as the normally globetrotting secretary is grounded, forced to spend a fourth day in the hospital. the former president and chelsea clinton leaving the hospital where the secretary is being treated this morning. the secret service stationed outside. chelsea tweeting, thank you all for sending good thoughts to my mom's way. grateful to all her doctors. and that she'll make a full recovery. >> reporter: it's been three weeks since the secretary of state was last seen in public. during an overseas tour where she picked up a bad stomach virus. days later, she fainted and got a nasty concussion. an mri refeeling she had a blood clot.

her doctors saying a scan revealed a clot in the vein that's situationed in the space between the brain and the skull right behind the ear. the secretary did not suffer neurologic damage. but it's a setback. she's the most-traveled secretary of state ever. logging nearly 1 million miles and spending the equivalent of an entire year of her life on a plane. clinton telling barbara walters, the schedule has taken its toll. >> you're leaving at the height of your career. why are you leaving? >> i've been, as you know, at the highest levels of american and now international activities for 20 years. and i just thought it was time to take a step off. i wanted to take some time. and just really collect myself. >> are you exhausted? >> i am. to be honest, i am. when i do something, i really want to do it. i want to do it to the best of my abilities. >> reporter: and the secretary is reportedly in good spirits.

engaging with her doctors and her family, and bill clinton, who is at her side. it is unclear when she will be able to return at the state department before the new secretary of state is sworn in. elizabeth? >> sharyn, thanks so much. let's turn to dr. richard besser. rich, we talked about this on monday morning, about this blood clot. we weren't clear what this was. the news has not been good. it's much more serious than what we thought. >> this can be dangerous. it's called a transverse sinus th thrombosis. if it breaks off, it can go to her heart and her lungs and be fatal. if it gets bigger, it can go to the top of the head, increasing the pressure on the skull. that can cause stroke and be deadly. >> very clear to point out she did not suffer any kind of a

stroke. when is she out of the woods for this? she's been in the hospital for several days. at what point is the all-clear given? >> it wasn't picked up due to neurologic findings. it was a follow-up mri. when she's out of the woods is when her blood is thin. it'santi-coagulated. those are the things they're watching for. two things you have to be careful about with blood thinners. if they don't make her blood thin enough, the clot can break off. if they make it too thin, she can bleed into herelsewhere in . that can be severe. >> because she is a front-runner, potentially for the democratic presidential nomination in 2016, a lot of people are watching this closely. what kind of long-term ramifications are there for her health and general well-being? >> the long-term consequences could be nothing. if they can control this, the clot would go away.

she'll be on blood thinners for a period of time. but she'll be able to go back to regular activities. >> did this come because of the concussion? the fall? >> that's not the conclusion. we're going to hear more about that. let's check back in with josh for a look at the morning headlines. hey, josh. >> good morning, elizabeth. we're going to begin with a poignant day of the survivors of the sandy hook school shooting in connecticut. preparing to return to classes for the first time since the tragedy. classes resume tomorrow. but today, families will get a first look at the new location. the previous chalk hill middle school in nearby monroe, just a few miles from newtown. a meticulously renovated school the students will now attend. and abc's amy robach is in monroe this morning, to show us. good morning to you, amy. >> reporter: josh, good morning to you. we're just down the street from chalk hill school. and we understand some families here, in an effort to show support to the students from sandy hook who will be returning

to school, they have lined the streets, the bus route, with green ribbons, to make them feel the support of this community, as they head back into the halls of a classroom. we know there's a new sign up on chalk hill middle school that reads sandy hook elementary school. as students go to class tomorrow, many of them will see a familiar face. their former principal, who retired back in 2010, will be greeting them at the door. school officials and teachers have been getting the classrooms ready and really focusing on every, last detail. making sure backpacks and desks, is exactly as the students left them on that day back on december 14th. so they feel some sense of familiarity in their surroundings. we know from the school superintendent, there will be counselors on-hand. the focus will be academic. they want to get students back to learning, teachers back to teaching. they want to make sure everyone feels comfortable. and one of the most important thing we heard yesterday from a town official, josh, he said to abc news, this will be the

safest school in america. josh? >> that is very good news. we wish them all the very best. thank you for that, amy. meanwhile, a connecticut lawyer suing the state for $100 million in the wake of those shoots has now dropped the case. the attorney representing a 6-year-old survivor claimed that the state didn't do enough to protect students. and new legal action in the wake of the jerry sandusky sexual abuse scandal at penn state. today, pennsylvania's governor is expected to sue the ncaa over the $60 million that it fined the school. that money is being used for a national child abuse awareness campaign. lawmakers not happy that taxpayer money is being spent in other states. and rough weather keeping the coast guard from getting to an oil rig that ran aground off of alaska. the rig owned by shell broke away from a tow ship during a powerful storm monday night. the crew was evacuated safely. but the rig is carrying roughly 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel. so far, there's no sign of a

spill. and a rogue wave is being blamed for pulling a man out to sea off northern california. he was trying to save his dog in the 20-foot waves. and finally, video going viral this morning. it shows you that you can be a hero and maybe look good doing it. a boat in new zealand, engulfed in flames. they needed a massive amount of watter to put out that fire. look what the driver of a nearby speedboat did, making that turn four times before finally extinguishing the fire. thankfully, no one was hurt. >> wow. he got so close. >> yeah. >> that is really a great thing. >> great stuff. great stuff. >> josh, thank you so much. >> you bet. now, we go to the startling arrest of a young, manhattan couple for alleged possession of weapons and explosives popular with terrorists. she was nine months pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl in custody. abc's john muller has more on the strange story. >> reporter: she is from a prominent family on new york's

ritzy upper east side. he is a harvard graduate. but this morning, police are investigating why 31-year-old aaron green and his girlfriend, 27-year-old morgan, had an arsenal of weapons, capable of massive destruction in their greenwich village, apartment. >> they had a terrorists encyclopedia. they had improvised and modified firearms. a do-it-ourself sub machine gun. >> reporter: police had been investigating him for credit card fraud when they received a tip from a couple they invited into the apartment. when police went to investigate, a shocking discovery. seven grams of a chemical called hmtb, a powerful explosive used in bombmaking. so unstable and dangerous, the entire building had to be evacuated saturday. police also seized a flare launcher, a sawed-off shotgun with dozens of shells, nine rifle magazines and various

how-to manuals on building bombs and booby traps. >> my best professional guess is that, they are just two very drug-addicted, delusional people that got into this sort of way of thinking of, it's sort of us against the world. >> reporter: so far, potential targets or a motive have not been determined. and police say the couple have no known links to any terrorist organizations. >> we spoke to aaron green's lawyer. he has enter a plea of not guilty. morgan hasy et to be arraigned because she's in the hospital after having a baby girl while in custody. we are unable to reach anyone for common on this. police say the couple admits to being heroin users. a lot of questions here. returning to josh. much happier story. you brought this back from the rose parade. >> this got us all. a soldier home from afghanistan, brought yesterday's parade to a halt with a surprise reunion that had the crowd standing as

one and cheering. and his young, little guy, smiling from ear-to-ear. it was the reunion that warmed the hearts of millions during this year's rose parade. a secret kept from just two people, miriam and her little boy, 4-year-old eric. she thought they had won a trip to california and tickets to the parade. but they were about to get something far more precious. >> what did you have to do to win? >> my husband entered his name, i guess. i got a call letting me know that we won. >> he is a soldier stationed in afghanistan. >> he's in afghanistan right now. >> reporter: that's what she thought. meanwhile, her husband, army sergeant eric pazz, was hidden on this float. that's when it happened. little eric recognizing his dad. and no one's arms could hold him.

the crowd stood as one to watch, as pazz hugged his family, sweeping up his son and handing his wife a rose. >> a really great experience. the first thing i thought, oh, my lord, i hope she's not going to slap me. and seeing our son's face, how he reacted. you know, really caught up in the moment. >> reporter: a warm embrace. a precious memory. the ultimate new year's day surprise for a family reunited after seven long months apart. i can tell you, abc, we were in on it. and keeping the secret from her was quite a challenge, i must admit. and it does, again, allow us all to thank, not just the servicemen and women who are sacrificing so much for us. but military families, as well. especially this time of year. >> it was great to watch. >> that little boy's smile's not going anywhere. >> no way. let's get the weather. ginger zee in for sam, on his honeymoon. >> it was a little cool at the

rose parade. good morning, everybody. let's start with what was not cool. that was last year. at least 40 cities, now, chicago, houston, new york city, just a few that are reporting in, as their hottest on record. that's right. 2012, still coming down on the record books. we expect noaa to say the whole united states will be. but that's not official yet. 20 bismarck. chicago, 6. new york city, the coldest air of the season. feels like it's 17. there will be lake-effect snow in the next couple days. up to six inches in upstate new york.

>> i'll have more on that cool california, coming up. >> good. also coming up, a young woman accused of the vicious murder of her boyfriend, stabbed 27 times. dan and nancy here live to weigh in. and espn's hannah storm revealing the terrifying moment she realized she was on fire. the explosion that left her second-degree burns. and how her daughter saved her.

>> stunning story. and let's jump-start your january. weight loss inspirations, straight ahead.

and good morning to you i am charley crowson. >> i am megan pringle. a 10-year-old girl from cecil county is fighting for her life after being hurt while ring in the new year with her family. she was visiting family in cecil county. witnesses reported gunshots mixed with fireworks and

investigators believe a bullet went into the air and came down and hit her in the head. police are not -- have not eye didn't fied who shot the gun. investigators -- identified who may have shot the gun. investigators are investigating a fire at a wesleyan church in oxon hill. >> there was damage and we are talking 100,000 dollars worth. >> arson could be the cause. firefighters are talking about two hot spots. we will have more as it becomes available. let's say good morning to lynette charles. >> good morning. yes, we are dealing with some dry weather this morning. we have what couple flurries across the area but all in all lots of cloud cover to talk about. we will get filtered sunshine as we go throughout the day. you can see what's going on in bel air. we are going to be cold. 33 degrees even as we go into the afternoon. we will be dealing with very chilly temperatures. our high right around 37. high pressure will build in bringing us filtered sunshine going through the afternoon. but this is what to expect planning your day with the high temperature of 37. let's check the traffic with lauren cook good morning.

>> reporter: good morning. we have trouble on 95. we are dealing with a crash along the northbound lanes at mountain road in harford county and more problems in downtown baltimore where there's a disabled car along the northbound lanes at fort mchad beenry. north -- nottingham a crash on bel air road at henry avenue. here's a live look at harford road outer loop will be jammed up towards providence. now over to you. we are out of time. more news weather and traffic in a half-hour and on facebook, we are asking what you think about swearing in the workplace. >> weigh in. we want to hear from you. see you in a bit.

♪ all that jumping going on. we're jumpstarting january, right here in times square. we're getting a whole bunch of people in shape this morning. all kinds of ideas how to kick-start your weight loss for 2013. make good on all the new year's resolutions. a lot of people getting a good start right now. and january in times square. >> that song by jennifer lopez makes me want to get up. maybe not to get up like what people have done. also coming up in this half hour, a real special story. espn's hannah storm, revealing a

terrifying moment she faced a wall of fire. it was a terrifying explosion that left her with second-degree burns. but she is an incredible woman. she is back on the air. and talks about how her daughter may have saved her life. and we're so happy she's doing better. josh, you were out with her. >> it was, as strong as they come, that one. >> and you're close pals from your days at espn. >> it was great to see her again. and great to work with her. >> so glad she's okay. also, kim kardashian, and kanyes we, you may have heard -- >> no, what? >> she is having a baby. and she's speaking out for the first time about how she feels about said baby with kanye, of said daddy. >> can't wait for that. psy, on new year's eve. did you see this. performing "gangnam style"? maybe it's the last time you'll see it. it is retired.

we may have the next sensation already going viral. your "play of the day" coming up. >> thank you so much, josh. let's get to the trial of an arizona woman who has been charged with brutally killing her boyfriend after he tried to break up with her. she stabbed him, get this, 27 times allegedly. and shot him, as well, allegedly. and jodi arias could now be facing the death penalty. dan and nancy are waiting to weigh in. but here's ryan owens with the background. ♪ oh, holy night >> reporter: that attractive woman singing christmas carols behind bars could soon be on death row. prosecutors will argue that 32-year-old jodi arias, should die for the one-time murder of her one-time boyfriend, travis alexander. she may sound soft-spoken. but police say she stabbed alexander 27 times, slit his

throat, and shot him in the head at his arizona home, in 2008. arias has pled not guilty. the two met at a work conference six years ago. jodi says they fell in love, traveled the country together. and to strengthen her ties to the devout mormon, she even converted. but travis' friends say, after dating a few months, she tried to break it off. and told them this. >> there is nothing about her that i see as marriage material or wife material. but it's hard to say no to a woman that sneaks into your house, crawls in your bed and tries to, you know, seduce you. >> reporter: travis' family and friends say jodi was stalking him in the months before the murder, something she denies. but at first, she denied being at his house at the night before the murder. then, police found a camera in travis' washing machine. it had pictures of the two having sex. and pictures of travis after she was killed. faced with that, jodi told the

show, "inside edition," she was there, but didn't do it. >> i witnessed travis being attacked by two other individuals. >> who? >> i don't know who they were. i couldn't pick them out in a police lineup. >> reporter: now, the accused killer is singing a new tune. ♪ of hope >> reporter: she admits she did kill him, but in self-defense. she claims he was sexually and physically abusive throughout their relationship. >> it makes me sick because i know her true side. and i ask people to please not buy into this sweet, innocent, you know, personality that she puts on. >> no jury is going to convict me. >> why not? >> because i'm innocent. and you can mark my words on that one. no jury will convict me. >> reporter: for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news, dallas. for more, we're joined by "gma" legal analyst, dan abrams. and nancy grace will cover the trial tonight on her hln show. it looks tough. three different stories from

jodi ha jodi arias. she wasn't there. she was there, but other people did it. she did it but it was self-defense. >> when a witness begins to change their story, that's the kiss of death, pardon the pun. and another problem for her at trial, is she may want to insist on taking the stand against her attorney's advice. remember, you're talking about the winner of "american idol" behind bars. and that may be the shot you're showing right now. >> it is. >> she loves the limelight. and all this business about them being broken up. they weren't broken up. they were having sex right before the murder. and with her changing stories, she also said she killed him in self-defense. that's three different stories she told police. >> how do you begin to defend her? >> i think in the end, the self-defense claim is an effort to get second-degree murder. i think they know they're in big trouble here. she is now, by arguing self-defense, effectively admitting that she did this, right?

she's not saying, i wasn't there. she's not saying there were intruders. she is saying, i did it. i think this is an effort by her to say, you're not going to be able to prove premeditation. it happened in the heat of passion. we had a stormy relationship. and there's a big difference between second-degree murder and first-degree murder. >> they don't need premeditation. they also charged her with felony murder, which simply means the death occurs during the commission of a felony. here, they're saying the felony is burglary. which means you enter a structure with the intent to commit a crime. she went into the home with a gun. listen -- he was shot. he was stabbed. he was beaten. boom. >> but those are two different legal theories that are requiring the same idea, which is she went in there with the intent to do something. and they're going to argue, with this second-degree murder, i think, that she didn't go in there with the intent to commit

any kind of crime. >> she went in with a gun. i heard a lot about crazy sex. but when you introduce a gun into the scenario, that's little too crazy, even for a jury. >> do you think the prosecution's overreaching by going for the first-degree? >> i think the prosecutors are overreaching going for the death penalty. that may be funny to you. but that's not funny to me. >> -- took pictures of him dead in the shower. >> okay? there's no question -- this is a legal matter. one question -- there's no question it is a legal matter. they can pursue the death penalty. they have theory here, which is not out of bounds about why the death penalty applies. the death penalty should be the worst of the worst. this is a domestic violence case. she ought to be charged with murder. she ought not to be charged with the death penalty. >> because that was her

boyfriend, that makes it less valuable? she stabbed him 27 times. and she took pictures of him, dead, naked, in the shower. she took her own crime scene photos, for pete sake. there was blood all the way down the stairwell. >> that's why she is charged with murder. >> this is a classic, death penalty case. >> you're passionate over this. hold on. does she take the stand or not? >> i think she's going to argue self-defense, she has to take the stand. but i can't see how she does. i think, if they're serious about a self-defense claim, she's going to have to take the stand. >> we'll have you both back on this. nancy covers it tonight. time for the weather. ginger z ginger zee, in for sam. >> it is the coldest morning, from chicago, to boston. you can see steam coming up from the buildings. temperature right now is 18, windchill 7. it has been bitter cold. and it will be for some time.

we have a j